PITTSBURGH, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG) today announced that 1992 data the company recently reported under federal right-to-know requirements shows environmental releases from its domestic facilities have declined 66 percent since 1988.
PPG also reported a 66 percent reduction in the same period for compounds covered by a voluntary program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in which participants seek to cut releases of certain toxics in half by 1995.
"Releases" are emissions as well as wastes sent to disposal or treatment facilities; materials shipped elsewhere for recycling or use in energy recovery are not included. PPG, with operations in 19 states, has adopted globally the Responsible Care initiative to enhance its efforts for continual improvement in environmental performance and pollution prevention.
Paul M. King, corporate director of environment, health and safety, said, "PPG's reduction achievements are representative of industry's considerable progress in minimizing waste and emissions."
He said PPG's 1992 releases reported to EPA under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, or Title III, declined to 3,641 tons from 10,696 tons in 1988, and those in the Industrial Toxics Program (ITP), also called 33/50, declined to 1,656.5 tons from 4,924.5 tons.
PPG's reductions through off-site recycling and energy recovery have more than doubled, to 6,768 tons last year from 2,730 tons in 1988, King said.
"We surpassed our 1995 ITP goal in 1991," King said. "We are pleased with our progress in abating releases of all types, and are committed to a goal of zero waste or emissions."
He said PPG's Title III and ITP reductions have averaged about 24 percent a year, but added that "it's unlikely those rates can be maintained without technology breakthroughs in production processes, environmental control, product formulation and raw material requirements."
PPG's Coatings and Resins Group reduced Title III releases 64 percent, from 5,037 tons in 1988 to 1,811 tons last year; the Chemicals Group 68 percent, from 5,380 tons to 1,732 tons; and the Glass Group 65 percent, from 279 tons to 97 tons.
For ITP, the Coatings and Resins reduction was 66 percent, from 4,015 tons to 1,381 tons, and Chemicals' was 73 percent, from 892.5 tons to 237 tons. Glass Group releases rose from 17 to 39 tons because of contaminated refractories from increased melting tank repairs and reclassification of some coated automotive glass wastes. King said refractory and coatings changes and recycling will reduce future releases.
In May, PPG reported reductions since 1988 in generation of wastes of all kinds in North America of more than 147,000 tons, or 39 percent. Its 1993 goal is another 25,000 tons, or 11 percent, including nearly 11,000 tons of hazardous waste, a 10 percent reduction from 1992 levels.
-0- 10/28/93
/CONTACT: John S. Ruch of PPG Industries, 412-343-2445/
(PPG)

CO: PPG Industries ST: Pennsylvania IN: CHM SU: ENV

DM -- PG002 -- 7692 10/28/93 07:57 EDT

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